


Run for the Hills

by Darkestwolfx



Series: March Prompt a Day 2020 [20]
Category: Thunderbirds
Genre: Backstory, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:07:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23428978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkestwolfx/pseuds/Darkestwolfx
Summary: He'd honestly thought it a saying, and little more. He was re-evaluating that now.
Relationships: Penelope Creighton-Ward/Gordon Tracy
Series: March Prompt a Day 2020 [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1660813
Comments: 3
Kudos: 11





	Run for the Hills

**Author's Note:**

> So, as I've said on my tumblr - in case you don't follow me there - I had a busy weekend with work and my internet is rubbish at the moment, so this March challenge... yeah, not going to be finished in March (it's already April of course). So I'm still going to finish them, just at my own rate whilst I also write for irrelief2020.
> 
> Goodness I should have written this long ago and I really don't know why I didn't! I am so pleased this prompt appeared because it has finally, finally spurred me on to write it. It's another character I don't usually write solo for – not that I know why, I think just because I haven't as opposed to any issues with writing the character.
> 
> Anyway, I would kill for a backstory series on all this you know, but hey, I'll just keep making it up to my pleasure until they choose to see so fit as to give me one.

**20: Run for the Hills**

Summary: He'd honestly thought it a saying, and little more. He was re-evaluating that now.

Words: 1805

Spoilers: Potential references to _'The Hexpert'_ [S1E20], _'Designated Driver'_ [S1E22]. Mentions _'Signals: Part One'_ [S3E14]. Nothing major.

* * *

' _e ad hoften thought habout hall this running haround: driving ha fancy car hand looking the part…_

It was him. There was no denying that.

FAB One and the beautiful, kind young Lady (okay, and the mutt), he drove around were proof of all he know was.

Chauffeur, Butler, Protector.

Yes, he was all of those things thanks to Lord Creighton-Ward's faith in him.

_No hone 'ad hever 'ad faith like that hin 'im._

Not even those who were always meant to have his back, those who he ran with had never had that much belief.

Safecracker, illusive thief, criminal mastermind…

Okay, well, maybe he hadn't quite made the records for the last one, but they were the things he had been, the things he thought he had left behind, so to speak.

They never left him. He couldn't forget all the things which had made up his checkered past, which formed his skill set, and had led him to this ultimate point.

_This point hof faith._

Lord Creighton-Ward gave him a chance and he took it. He was already something and someone, but maybe this gave him a chance to be more than that.

* * *

He'd been thinking that in the sense of… well, some kind of retribution for his past failings and run-ins with the law.

He hadn't been thinking in the sense of an ex-astronaut who his Lordship seemed to be quite friendly with.

" _Parker, this is Mr Jeff Tracy."_

" _Nice to meet you, Mr Tracy, Sir."_

" _Oh, you don't need the 'Sir', Parker."_

" _hOh… right you hare, Sir."_

When he accepted Lord Creighton-Ward's offer;

" _What would hI be doing, M'Lord?"_

" _Just driving my daughter around, Parker. Looking out for her."_

" _hOh, hI can do that, Your Lordship. hI hused to be hour get-haway driver."_

" _Did you now?"_

" _Yes, Your Lordship, hand might hI say, hI was halmost has good has that, has hI was hat cracking the safes."_

" _Well, then I'm sure I couldn't be hiring better hands."_

…He had, well, assumed it was a one-person sort of job. One person to mind that was.

But since the arrival of Jeff Tracy, it seemed more had come his way.

Much more.

_Crikey ho' Riley… what 'ad 'e signed 'imself hup for?_

_Lord Creighton-Ward gave Mr Jeff Tracy Sir, quite ha lot hof funding for some project hor hanother._

That was what Parker worked out early on, from being stood in the room or sat in the driver's seat.

* * *

The American visited the residence quite often too.

And one day, he brought his eldest son with him for the trip.

"Ah, Parker, you remember Jeff."

A polite nod to show the answer was the haffirmative.

"This is Jeff's eldest boy. Mr Scott Tracy."

The boy seemed very confident too, holding out a hand like he was ready for a handshake. Parker obliged, after a polite bow, of course.

"Nice to meet you, Mr Scott, Sir."

"Oh no, Parker, he's definitely not a Sir."

"hOh… right you hare, Mr Jeff Tracy Sir."

He'd gone promptly to serve the tea, missing the very bright-eyed glances shared between the two men.

* * *

It was the right choice.

_hAccepting his Lordship's offer._

Of course it was the right choice.

Lord Creighton-Ward rather thought so too.

* * *

" _Tea, M'Lady?"_

" _Tea, Parker."_

The young Lady Penelope, heir to his Lordship, wasn't quite one for all that sitting still at gala's and charity balls. Parker thought she was a sight worse than him, and he at least wasn't supposed to be a.. _huhem… 'igh born_.

She set him off half the time.

Her Father didn't seem to particularly mind either, Parker noticed. He'd spare her a cursory glance, non-interruptive to whatever or whomever he was conversing with, see he was already prepared to follow along dutifully behind her, and return to whatever he was occupied with.

Parker wondered for many years whether that was strange or just a trait of the 'igh born.

He never realised, nor had time to be told by his Lordship, that it was only because _he_ was going to be there that the man could take his eyes off his daughter for more than two seconds.

His Lordship would rather have liked to tell him that.

* * *

Mr Jeff Tracy Sir continued to visit often.

The young Lady Penelope was rather liking getting to know his sons too. Parker supposed it made sense.

"hAh 'ello hagain, Mr Tracy Sir."

"Yes, hello Parker. Lovely weather today."

"Makes ha change from the rain, Mr Tracy Sir. hOh, there's three hof you."

"Yes, Parker, this is another of my sons. John Tracy."

"Nice to make your hacquaintance, Mr John Sir."

"Oh, I'm not-"

"And 'ello hagain to you, Mr Scott Sir."

"-a Sir."

* * *

Parker had often thought of the old saying… Run for the hills.

Maybe that's what he should be doing, and doing now. Running whilst there was still some kind of chance.

He didn't. Lord Creighton-Ward had _chosen_ him, and put _his_ faith in _him._

He owed the man a certain amount of loyalty for that.

And he'd promised to protect the man's daughter.

Even if that seemed to come with an additional family who he somehow ended up playing butler for too.

* * *

FAB One had been a replacement for FAB Zero when petrol began to die out.

Lord Creighton-Ward had intended to get a black car this time around, much sleeker and more stylish, but her young ladyship had kicked up a fuss… a rather polite fuss, but a fuss nevertheless.

"Everyone has black cars."

"It's the nature of high society, dear. Chauffeurs drive the cars, the cars blend in."

"The last car did not."

"No, well, that was a favour I was testing for a friend, you see. But it is not viable to have another pink car dear."

"But I think something pink to carry on the tradition would look most fine, Father. Don't you think so too, Parker?"

"hOh… hI hum… well, yes, M'Lady."

"See Father, Parker agrees with me, and since he'll be the one driving it, I think it's only fair if we make sure it is pink."

"Yes, Penelope dear, whatever you say."

"hI ham sorry, Your Lordship. hI didn't know what helse hI could say to 'er."

"That is quite alright, Parker. She's right, after all. Why not have another pink car."

FAB One could also be black though, there was a rather handy switch for it.

_Yes, Parker very much liked the new 'get-haway' car, 'is Lordship 'ad bought 'im._

* * *

FAB Zero had lived in the garage for many years.

Many, many years until Parker and Scott crossed paths again. He'd been doing a spot of… spring cleaning, when Mr Jeff Tracy Sir had turned up with the boy, His Lordship and young Lady Penelope in tow.

"Good morning Parker."

"Good morning, Mr Tracy Sir."

"Yes, well… Apparently it's okay for you to take the day to teach Scott here how to drive."

"Me, Mr Tracy Sir?"

"Yes Parker, you." His Lordship agreed. "Who better."

"Can Parker teach me how to drive?"

"You don't need to drive, dear, that's why you have Parker."

"Hmm, but one of these days-"

The conversation faded away as did the figures until Parker was left very much halone with the eldest Tracy boy. He'd lost count now as to how many of them there were. It was so much easier with just her Ladyship to look after on a daily basis.

"So, how do I drive?"

And he thought her Ladyship moved fast. hOh to be young...

"This car looks awesome. Oh, why's there a button there? Dad's doesn't have one of those-"

It wasn't usual custom, but he grabbed the young man's hand before it could even reach the little impress.

"hI wouldn't touch that, hif hI were you."

"What does it do?"

"Well, Mr Scott Sir, maybe hone hof these days hI'll show you, but for now your father 'as hasked me to teach you to drive."

"So teach me! I'm ready."

"No, Mr Scott Sir. You're sitting hin the wrong car."

"The wrong car?"

"hOnly hI 'ave the 'onour hof driving FAB One."

"So what am I meant to drive."

"hI'm glad you hasked."

* * *

"Parker?"

"Yes, M'Lady?"

"I'd like you to meet Sherbet."

"hOh, hI hused to love Sherbets… hOh."

"He's my new companion. He'll go with us wherever we go."

"hEven hin the car, M'Lady?"

"Of course. I wouldn't expect him to walk alongside us on the road, would I now?"

He sighed.

"No, M'Lady."

* * *

" _You will look after Penelope, won't you?"_

" _hOf course hI will, Your Lordship."_

He wasn't going to dare tell the man that she was perfectly capable of looking after herself.

_Or that 'e might 'ave let slip ha few hold tricks to 'er._

* * *

They were saying goodbye to Mr Jeff Tracy Sir.

He'd just come for tea in the wake and told them some very interesting information.

It had made Her Ladyship rather happy anyhow.

"Well Parker, that does make things more exciting."

"Certainly, M'Lady. hI'm sure Mr Scott Sir, hand Mr John Sir, hand Mr Virgil Sir will hall be very pleased to see you hat the hIsland."

"Yes, quite, um… Parker?"

"Yes, M'Lady?"

"You do know the boys aren't Mr Tracy's yet."

"hAre they not, M'Lady?"

"No, no, no. They still have Jeff. They're Master Tracy's."

"hOh… hI see. Well, M'Lady, hI'm sure Master Scott Sir, hand Master John Sir, hand Master Virgil Sir will hall be-"

He never realised how much Lady Penelope loved the little mistakes he made with his terminology or his speech. And she never told him – too much – for fear that she would correct her source of entertainment too much.

No, she rather liked this character her Father had found for her.

Parker never told her that he rather liked her too.

* * *

The little bell rang, somehow clear and shrill through the house.

_Blimey! 'e no longer knew 'ow that was possible._

Back up he went. _hAgain._

Master Gordon was a bound to be ringing for something.

He was in this for the long haul, certainly until that leg repaired itself.

hOh… He'd have a five in six chance of it being any of the other Tracy siblings, and he was including Kayo.

But of all the ones Her Ladyship had to take a shining too… it had to be the blonde currently laid up with a stack of injuries, one heck of an attitude and a little annoying bell.

"Parker!"

The bell rang again.

"Parker!"

"Coming! Master Gordon Sir. hOh…"

* * *

Maybe he really should have run for those hills when he had the chance.

He'd honestly thought it a saying, and little more. He was re-evaluating that now. _hAgain._

But of course, it didn't change a thing.

_hAgain._


End file.
